Safety device for clothes wringers



www L Ew@ W. Q F METZ ,1R/LTT@ l SAFETY DEVICE FOR CLOTHES WBINGES Filed March lO, 1933 Patented Nov. 1, 1938 SAFETY DEVICE FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS William C. F.' Dietz, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Walter K. Voss, Davenport, Iowa Application March 10,

9A Claims.

This invention relates broadly to safety devices for po-wer drivenclothes wringers used. in connection with washing machines and is more par--l ticularly directed to the arrangement of a switch i for breaking the electric circuit of the motor l lease of one of the rolls is sometimes sufficient erator get caught or become wrapped around the roll, serious injury may be the result.

Itis therefore an object of the present invention to provide a safety device in the forml of a switch which has its controlling element loi cated on the wringer, within convenient reach of the operator and operable to break the circuit ior the motor either independently of or simultaneously with the release or separation of the rolls.

Another object is to provide a simple safety device which does not require reconstruction or rearrangement of parts forming the wringer and associated mechanism but which may be installed for operation on any standard type of wringer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a separable connection in the current carrying cable leading from the motor, usually located below the clothes container of the washing machine, to the switch arranged on the wringer and to which the present invention is directed in that said separable connection will act as a relief and prevent the breakage and damage of the cable, should the wringer head be swung or continuously rotated in one direction upon its mounting. The separable connectionv also permits the removal of the Wringer head from the washing machine for shipping purposes without dismantling any of the electrical equipment used in connection with the switch. 1

In a patent issued to me, June 7, 1930, bearing No. 1,762,916, I show a wringer provided with a safety device whereby the upper rollv carrying frame may be rocked to either side to separate the rolls. This type of wringer and safety device has been used for an illustration, in the 1933, Serial No. 660,282

(Cl. (iS-253) present application, as I find that this construction isA particularly suitable for the operation of the switch and its operating means, comprising the present invention. It is understood however that this switch arrangement may be installed for operation on other types of wringers and when so installed, the switch may be operable from either side of the wringer.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes washer and wringer showing the installation and location of the switch comprising the present invention;

Fig. Z is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of the wringer showing more clearly the arrangementV of the switch;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line t--S of Fig. 2 showing the upper roll carry# ing frame in a position rocked to one side;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken through the switch structure.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a wringer of the ordinary type showing the switch, forming a part of the present invention installed for operation in connection therewith.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates a conventional type of washing machine equipped with a clothes wringer 2 driven and supported by mechanism 3 connected for operation with a motor unit 4 usually located at the lower portion of the machine. The wringer 2 which has been specifically described in my aforementioned patent comprises a lower rigid frame 5 in which is positioned a roller i5 rotated through the provision of the mechanism 3. Cooperating with the frame 5 and arranged thereabove is a second frame l which is rockable to either side of the wringer and having its ends provided with bifurcated spring clips 8 positioned in seating engagement with spaced fulcrum pins 9 carried by the lower frame and which together with said clips provide a connection between the frames. Arranged on each side of the wringer is a releasing plate l0, pivoted to the lower frame 5 as at Il and provided with cam projections l2 engaging the spring clips S adjacent one pair of the pins 9. It will be seen that upon a slight downward pressure on the part of either of the plates IB the cam projections I2 thereof will force one of the bifurcated ends of the spring clips, situated at each end of the wringer, outwardly until they will disengage from' one set of pins 9 thereby releasing the frame 1 from one side of the wringer and due to the pressure of the roll tensioning spring I3, arranged in the upper frame, the lattery will be swung or pivoted on the other sets of pins 9 to a roll separating position, which swinging action of the frame has been illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawing. As ther-eis located a release plate I on each side ofl thewinger it will be understood thatthe frame 1 'may be rocked to either side as is obvious. The construction so far described is that of the wringer shown in my prior patent and therefore no claim is made thereto in this present case.

Although the arrangement just described prevents accidents in most cases, nevertheless, there have been instances where the separation of the rolls has not been sufficient to prevent injury to the operator as in the case where the operators clothes have been caught or become entangled in clothes wrapped around the lower roll which is driven by the motor and continues to rotate although the rolls are separated. It is therefore desirable to provide means, whereby the power may be shut off to the power driven roller, which means should be so located on the wringer as to be within the operators reach and so arranged as to require no appreciable thought on the part of the operator for its operation. The present invention provides for such means which will now be described in detail.

Connected in the current carrying leads I4 of the motor 4 and mounted upon the mechanism 3, is a switch designated generally by the numeral I5. This switch which is preferably of the push button type is attached in any suitable manner to the end frame of the wringer and located in a vertical plane drawn through the longitudinal axes of the rolls and arranged at one end thereof. 'I'he switch I5 which may be of any suitable size and design includes an insulating base I5 having mounted thereon a pair of spaced metallic contacts I1 bent to provide upper and lower fingers I8 and I9 connected with current carrying leads I4, leading to the motor and a source of electrical energy respectively of which the latter may be a house circuit (not shown). Positioned between the contacts I1 and arranged for vertical sliding movement is a plunger member 20 which is spring pressed and carries a metallic washer 2I for engagement with the contact fingers I9 and arranged above this washer is a second washer 22 formed of insulating material.

Carried by one end of the upper wringer frame 1 is a plate 23 attached to the frame 1 by screws or the like 24 and having its lower portion bent outwardly into an arm 25 which is formed with a depressed projection 2B engaging the upper end of the plunger 20. Ordinarily, when the frame 1 is in a wringer operating position, the arm 25 will hold the plunger 20 depressed against the action of a spring 21 so that contact is made between the metallic washer 2| and the fingers I9 of the contact members I1. This will close the circuit for the motor 4 which in turn effects the rotation of the power driven roll 6 providing the latter is connected therewith through the provision of the clutch mechanism 28 usually provided in connection with wringer constructions of this kind.

In the operation of the wringer, it will be seen that should the operator get his hand or clothing caught between the rolls of the wringer, this sudden jerk or action would bring his arm or body against the releasing plate I0 causing the same to effect the disengagement of the upper frame 1 from the pivot pins 9 located nearest the operator. The released frame 1 is now free to swing on the oppositely located pivots, due to the action of the roll tensioning spring I3, and space the upper roll free from the lower power roll. This swinging action of the frame 1 will cause the arm 25 to disengage the upper end of the plunger 20, permitting the latter under the action of the spring 21 to be elevated thus breaking the circuit established through the contacts I1 and the washer 2|. The upward movement of the plunger will be checked by the engagement of the insulating washer 22 with the upper sets of ngers I8 of the contact members. It will thus be seen that not only will the rolls be separated by the operation of a releasing plate I0 but this action will also effect the breaking of the circuit for the motor. A novel feature of the device is the location of the plate, carrying the arm 25, and the positioning of the switch I5 in that the frame 1 may be rocked to either side of the wringer and yet effect the circuit breaking operation of the switch. Also, upon restoring the tiltable frame to its wringing operating position, the switch will be automatically put in a position closing the circuit for the motor.

In the form of the invention disclosed in Fig. 5, the switch 29 has been shown installed in connection with a wringer frame 3i! of the ordinary type and instead of making use of the tiltable upper frame, as in the first form, for controlling the operation of the switch, bar members SI are arranged longitudinally of the rolls and mounted on each side thereof. The bar members are provided with end pieces 32 which have their intermediate portions thereof pivoted as at 33 to the end meinbers of the wrnger frame and their inner ends engaging or resting upon the upper end of the plunger 34 of the switch. The switch in this instance is of such construction that when the plunger thereof is in its normal elevated position, the circuit for the motor is closed. It will therefore be apparent that should the operator of the machine move either of the bars 3| in an inward direction, this would depress the switch plunger and effect the opening of the motor circuit.

An important feature of the invention is also the provision of a separable connection 35 in the current carrying cable I4 connecting the motor 4 with the switch I5. The connection 35 may be of the customary two-part prong and socket ccnstruction usually found in wirings of this kind and the lower part thereof is clamped in a stationary manner to the shaft housing 36 forming a part of the drive mechanism between the motor and the wringer. It is tobe noted that the connection is located near the lower end of the shaft housing so that if pull is exerted upon the cable portion above the connection, as when the wringer head is rotated one or more revolutions around the upper end of the housing 36, wrapping the cable therearound, such pull will be in a substantially straight upward direction effecting the easy separation of the connection parts without breaking or damaging the same or the cable. Another advantage gained by the provision of the separable connection is that the cable may be readily disconnected when the wringer head is removed from the washing machine for shipping purposes,

Although there has been shown and described a particular type of switch construction, it is to be understood that switches of other constructions may be used equally as well and also, that the switch may be positioned at other points than that Shown and arranged for operation with variously constructed manual controls.

What is claimed is 1. In a wringer, a lower frame having a power driven roller mounted therein, a one-piece upper frame member provided with a cooperating roller, said frame member being pivoted at each end and to one side of said lower frame, locking means for retaining said upper frame member in a normal operating position, driving means for said rollers including a motor, a spring opened switch in the circuit for said motor positioned upon said lower frame, means provided on said upper frame member for engaging said switch to hold it in a closed position, and manually operable means adjacent said rollers for releasing said locking means to permit said upper frame member to swing to one side of said lower frame and said switch to assume an open position.

2. In a wringer, a lower frame having a power driven roller mounted therein, pairs of pivots carried by said frame on each side of the vertical plane of the roller, a one piece upper frame member provided with a cooperating roller secured to said pivots, means carried by said lower frame for releasing said upper frame member from engagement with a pair of said pivots, a switch mounted upon said lower frame, and an operating member for said switch carried by said upper frame member whereby said switch will be actuated to an open position upon movement of said frame member on said pivots.

3. In a wringer, a lower frame having a power driven roller mounted therein, an upper frame member provided with a cooperating roller horizontally pivoted to said lower frame the pivots for said upper frame member being offset from the vertical plane of said rollers, a switch mounted upon said lower frame, and a switch operating member carried by said upper frame member and arranged to move said switch to an open position upon pivoting movement of said frame member.

4. In a wringer, a lower frame having a power driven roller carried thereby, horizontally arranged pivot studs carried by said frame in 01T- set relation to the vertical plane of the roller, an upper frame member provided with a cooperating roller supported by said pivot studs, a switch member carried by said lower frame in spaced relation to said upper frame member, and an actuating member for said switch carried by said upper frame member whereby movement of said frame member on said pivots will raise said actuating member from engagement with said switch.

5. In a motor driven wringer, the combination with a stationary lower frame, an upper frame mounted for swinging movement to each side of said lower frame about axes offset horizontally from the vertical plane of said lower frame, a single switch mounted on one of said frames, and switch controlling means operated by the swinging movement of said upper frame to either side of said lower frame to stop the driving operation of said motor.

6. In a wringer, a lower frame having a power driven roller mounted therein, a pair of pivots carried by said frame on either side of the vertical plane of the roller, a one piece upper frame member supported by said pivots and including a cooperating roller journaled thereon, means carried by said lower frame for releasing said upper frame from engagement with a pair of said pivots, a switch mounted upon said lower frame, and a controlling member for said switch carried by said upper frame and movable therewith to a switch open position upon movement of said frame on either pair of pivots.

7. In a wringer, a lower frame having a power driven roller mounted therein, an upper frame member provided with a cooperating roller horizontally pivoted to said lower frame, the pivotal axis of said upper frame being offset from the vertical plane of said rollers, a switch mounted upon said lower frame in the vertical plane of said rollers, and a member carried by said upper frame controlling the open and closed position of said switch and movable to the switch open position upon pivoting movement of said frame.

8. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer frame including a head section pivoted on a longitudinal axis and having a normal central position, wringer rolls mounted in said frame, means by which said head section maintains said wringer rolls under operative spring pressure, said means being re1easab1e to relieve said operative spring pressure upon movement of said head section in either direction from said normal position, an operating motor having driving connections for rotating said wringer rolls, a circuit in control of motor operation including switch means normally biased to open position, and switch controlling means engageable with cooperative `means on said head section when said section is in the normal position thereof to hold said switch in circuit closing position and disengageable upon movement of said head section in either direction out of the normal position thereof to permit said switch means to be biased into open position.

9. In a wringer, the combination with a lower frame member having a power driven roller mounted therein, a unitary upper frame member carrying a cooperating roller, said upper frame member being pivotally mounted on an axis to be swingable to either side of the lower frame member, manually operated releasable means for locking said upper frame member in a normal operating position, driving means for said rollers including a motor, a switch positioned in the circuit for said motor, and means responsive to the movement of the upper frame member in either direction for effecting the operation of said switch to break the circuit for said motor.

WILLIAM C. F. DIETZ. 

